arXiv subjects

R. P. Singh

Publications and source records attributed to R. P. Singh.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2024

Investigating a Device Independence Quantum Random Number Generation

Quantum random number generation (QRNG) is a resource that is a necessity in the field of cryptography. However, its certification has been challenging. In this article, we certify randomness with the aid of quantum entanglement in a device independent setting, where we choose two-photon interference for source characterisation. The CHSH inequality violation and quantum state tomography are used as independent checks on the measurement devices. These measures ensure the unpredictability of quantum random number generation. This work can be easily extended to faster randomness expansion protocols.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Superconductivity with high upper critical field in an equiatomic high entropy alloy Sc-V-Ti-Hf-Nb

High-entropy alloy (HEA) superconductors have attracted significant attention due to their exceptional low-temperature mechanical and superconducting properties. We report the synthesis and thorough characterization of an equiatomic HEA superconductor with the composition Sc$_{0.20}$V$_{0.20}$Ti$_{0.20}$Hf$_{0.20}$Nb$_{0.20}$, crystallizing in a body-centered cubic crystal structure (Im3$\bar{m}$). Our investigation, using magnetization, transport, and heat capacity measurements, reveals the presence of weakly coupled, fully gapped superconductivity with a transition temperature of 4.17(3) K and the upper critical field exceeding the Pauli paramagnetic limit. The metallic nature, combined with a high upper critical field, positions it as a promising candidate for applications in superconducting devices.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Evidence for conventional superconductivity in Bi$_2$PdPt and prediction of topological superconductivity in disorder-free $γ$-BiPd

We present comprehensive investigations into the structural, superconducting, and topological properties of Bi$_2$PdPt. Magnetization and heat capacity measurements performed on polycrystalline Bi$_2$PdPt demonstrate a superconducting transition at $\approx$ 0.8 K. Moreover, muon spin relaxation/rotation ($μ$SR) measurements present evidence for a time reversal symmetry preserving, isotropically gapped superconducting state in Bi$_2$PdPt. We have also performed density-functional theory (DFT) calculations on Bi$_2$PdPt alongside the more general isostructural systems, BiPd$_{x}$Pt$_{1-x}$, of which Bi$_2$PdPt and $γ$-BiPd are special cases for $x=0.5$ and $x=1$ respectively. We have calculated the $Z_2$ topological index from our DFT calculations for a range of substitution fractions, $x$, between $x=0$ and $x=1$ characterizing the topology of the band structure. We find a non-trivial topological state when $x>0.75$ and a trivial topological state when $x<0.75$. Therefore our results indicate that BiPd$_{x}$Pt$_{1-x}$ could be a topological superconductor for $x>0.75$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Pressure-induced enhancement of superconductivity in a non-centrosymmetric compound LaPtGe

We report a pressure-induced enhancement of the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) in a non-centrosymmetric (NCS) compound, LaPtGe. With pressure, till 3 GPa, we observed a modest enhancement of the Tc with a rate of 0.071 K/GPa. However, above this pressure, the rate showed a ~2.5 times increase, 0.183 K/GPa. We observed a Tc of 3.94 K at 6 GPa, the highest pressure value used in our transport study. Synchrotron high-pressure x-ray powder diffraction (HP-XRPD) measurements do not reveal any structural phase transition in this system in this pressure range. However, it showed an apparent change of slope in the pressure dependence of lattice parameters above and below 3 GPa. Pressure dependence of the unit-cell volume also followed a distinct trend below and above 3 GPa, with the Birch-Murnaghan equation of state fit providing a bulk modulus (B0) value of ~144 and ~162 GPa, respectively, for two pressure regions. Further, the magnetotransport measurement under pressure up to 2.45 GPa reveals the enhancement of the upper critical field (Hc2(0)) from 0.7 T (0 GPa) to 0.92 T (2.45 GPa). In addition, the upward curvature in Hc2(T) becomes stronger with increasing pressure, suggesting a change of the underlying Fermi surface topology with pressure. The signature for the inducible Hc2(T) with pressure, the distinct enhancement of Tc around 3 GPa, and the noticeable change in lattice parameters around 3 GPa suggests the possibility of multi-gap superconductivity in LaPtGe similar to identical structure NCS compound, LaPtSi. The enhancement of Tc by pressure can be correlated with the possible underlying lattice modulation by compression and the change in the density of states at the Fermi level. Also, the bare change in pressure-dependent activation energy U0 up to 2.45 GPa calculated using the Arrhenius relation clearly shows that the shift in Tc does not arise from grain boundaries.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Superconductivity in new family of Rhenium-based binary alloys: Re$_{7}$X$_{3}$ (X = Nb, Ta, Ti, Zr, Hf)

Rhenium-based superconductors have recently attracted significant interest due to their unconventional superconducting properties. In this work, we report the synthesis and properties of new superconducting Re$_{7}$X$_{3}$ (X = Nb, Ta, Ti, Zr, Hf) binary alloys which maintain a fixed composition of rhenium while crystallizing in centrosymmetric to non-centrosymmetric crystal structures, depending on the elements of the X site. Comprehensive structural and superconducting properties were investigated using powder x-ray diffraction, AC transport, magnetization, and specific heat measurements, and on the basis of these measurements, the superconducting phase diagram was constructed. The results suggest a complex interplay of crystal structure and the Re/X ratio, which governs the strength of spin-orbital coupling and controls the unconventional superconducting behavior in Re-based superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Superconductivity in Breathing Kagome-Structured C14 Laves Phase XOs2(X = Zr, Hf)

Recently, the emergence of superconductivity in kagome metals has generated significant interest due to its interaction with flat bands and topological electronic states, which exhibit a range of unusual quantum characteristics. This study thoroughly investigates largely unexplored breathing Kagome structure C14 laves phase compounds XOs$_{2}$ (X = Zr, Hf) by XRD, electrical transport, magnetization, and specific heat measurements. Our analyses confirm the presence of the MgZn$_{2}$-type structure in ZrOs$_{2}$ and HfOs$_{2}$ compounds, exhibiting type-II superconductivity with critical temperature (T$_{C}$) values of 2.90(3) K and 2.69(6) K, respectively. Furthermore, specific heat measurements and an electron-phonon coupling constant suggest the presence of weakly coupled BCS superconductivity in both compounds.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Broken time-reversal symmetry in a new non-centrosymmetric superconductor Re8NbTa

Re-based superconductors provide a rich platform for the study of unconventional superconductivity. We have investigated the superconducting properties of Re$_{8}$NbTa, a new noncentrosymmetric cubic ($α$-Mn structure) rhenium-based ternary superconductor using transport, magnetization, specific heat, and muon spin rotation/relaxation ($μ$SR) measurements. Specific heat and transverse field $μ$SR measurements suggest moderately coupled fully gapped superconductivity, well described by BCS theory. However, our zero-field $μ$SR measurements reveal a small internal field onsetting around the superconducting T$_c$, indicating that the superconducting order parameter breaks the time-reversal symmetry.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Superconducting Properties of Topological Semimetal 1$T$-RhSeTe

Platinum-group transition-metal dichalcogenides have emerged as a subject of considerable interest in condensed matter physics due to their remarkable topological properties and unconventional superconducting behavior. In this study, we report the synthesis and superconducting characteristics of a new Dirac-type topological semimetallic compound 1$T$-RhSeTe. It shows type-II superconductivity with a superconducting transition temperature of 4.72 K and a high upper critical field. The coexistence of superconductivity and topological properties makes it a prime candidate for hosting topological superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Evidence for non-unitary triplet-pairing superconductivity in noncentrosymmetric TaRuSi and comparison with isostructural TaReSi

We have studied the superconducting properties of the isostructural ternary noncentrosymmetric superconductors TaXSi (X = Re, Ru) with the help of muon spin rotation/relaxation ($μ$SR) and density functional theory calculations. Our transverse-field $μ$SR measurements indicate isotropic s-wave superconductivity in TaReSi and multi-gap superconductivity in TaRuSi. Zero-field $μ$SR measurements, highly sensitive to very small magnetic fields, and no evidence for spontaneous fields in the superconducting state of TaReSi, whereas we observe small spontaneous fields that onset with superconductivity indicating broken time-reversal symmetry (TRS) superconductivity in TaRuSi. Using density functional theory calculations, we find that spin-orbit coupling is relatively weak in TaRuSi and strong in TaReSi. Using symmetry analysis, we attribute the broken time-reversal symmetry (TRS) in TaRuSi to a non-unitary triplet pairing state. Such a state is not allowed in the presence of strong spin-orbit coupling: our finding of no evidence for broken TRS in TaReSi is consistent with this expectation.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Broken time-reversal symmetry in cubic skutterudite-like superconductor Y$_3$Ru$_4$Ge$_{13}$

The microscopic properties of superconducting cubic skutterudite-like material Y$_3$Ru$_4$Ge$_{13}$ are investigated using muon spin relaxation and rotation ($μ$SR) measurements. Zero-field $μ$SR measurements reveal the presence of a spontaneous internal field with a magnitude of $\approx$ 0.18~mT below the superconducting transition temperature, indicating broken time-reversal symmetry in the ground state. In line with previous experiments, transverse-field $μ$SR measurements are consistent with a fully developed superconductivity gap in Y$_3$Ru$_4$Ge$_{13}$. Our observations point towards the relevance of electronic correlations beyond electron-phonon coupling as origin and indicate that spin-orbit coupling is likely not the key driving force behind the spontaneous breaking of time-reversal symmetry in this system.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Tuning the magnetic properties in MPS3 (M = Mn, Fe, and Ni) by proximity-induced Dzyaloshinskii Moriya interactions

Tailoring the quantum many-body interactions in layered materials through appropriate heterostructure engineering can result in emergent properties that are absent in the constituent materials thus promising potential future applications. In this article, we have demonstrated controlling the otherwise robust magnetic properties of transition metal phosphorus trisulphides (Mn/Fe/NiPS3) in their heterostructures with Weyl semimetallic MoTe2 which can be attributed to the Dzyaloshinskii Moriya (DM) interactions at the interface of the two different layered materials. While the DM interaction is known to scale with the strength of the spin-orbit coupling (SOC), we also demonstrate here that the effect of DM interaction strongly varies with the spin orientation/dimensionality of the magnetic layer and the low-energy electronic density of state of the spin-orbit coupled layer. The observations are further supported by a series of experiments on heterostructures with a variety of substrates/underlayers hosting variable SOC and electronic density of states.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Generating arbitrary non-separable states with polarization and orbital angular momentum of light

We demonstrate an experimental method to generate arbitrary non-separable states of light using polarization and orbital angular momentum (OAM) degrees of freedom. We observe the intensity distribution corresponding to OAM modes of the light beam by projecting the non-separable state into different polarization states. We further verify the presence of non-separability by measuring the degree of polarization and linear entropy. This classical non-separability can be easily transferred to the quantum domain using spontaneous parametric down-conversion for applications in quantum communication and quantum sensing.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Transformation of Bell states using linear optics

Bell states form a complete set of four maximally polarization entangled two-qubit quantum state. Being a key ingredient of many quantum applications such as entanglement based quantum key distribution protocols, superdense coding, quantum teleportation, entanglement swapping etc, Bell states have to be prepared and measured. Spontaneous parametric down conversion is the easiest way of preparing Bell states and a desired Bell state can be prepared from any entangled photon pair through single-qubit logic gates. In this paper, we present the generation of complete set of Bell states, only by using unitary transformations of half-wave plate (HWP). The initial entangled state is prepared using a combination of a nonlinear crystal and a beam-splitter (BS) and the rest of the Bell states are created by applying single-qubit logic gates on the entangled photon pairs using HWPs. Our results can be useful in many quantum applications, especially in superdense coding where control over basis of maximally entangled state is required.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Superconductivity with high upper critical field in Ta-Hf Alloys

High upper-critical field superconducting alloys are required for superconducting device applications. In this study, we extensively characterized the structure and superconducting properties of alloys Ta$_{x}$ Hf$_{1-x}$ (x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6 and 0.8). The substitution of Hf (T$_{C}$ = 0.12 K, type-I superconductor) with Ta (T$_{C}$ = 4.4 K, type-I superconductor) shows an anomalous enhancement of T$_{C}$ with variation of composition. Interestingly, all compositions exhibited strongly coupled bulk type-II superconductivity with a high upper critical field. In particular, for compositions x = 0.2, and 0.4, the upper critical field (H$_{C2}$) approached the Pauli limiting field.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Free Space Continuous Variable Quantum Key Distribution with Discrete Phases

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) offers unconditional security in principle. Many QKD protocols have been proposed and demonstrated to ensure secure communication between two authenticated users. Continuous variable (CV) QKD offers many advantages over discrete variable (DV) QKD since it is cost-effective, compatible with current classical communication technologies, efficient even in daylight, and gives a higher secure key rate. Keeping this in view, we demonstrate a discrete modulated CVQKD protocol in the free space which is robust against polarization drift. We also present the simulation results with a noise model to account for the channel noise and the effects of various parameter changes on the secure key rate. These simulation results help us to verify the experimental values obtained for the implemented CVQKD.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Superconducting properties of new hexagonal and noncentrosymmetric cubic high entropy alloys

Superconducting high-entropy alloys (HEAs) are a newly burgeoning field of unconventional superconductors and raise intriguing questions about the presence of superconductivity in highly disordered systems, which lack regular phonon modes. In our study, we have synthesized and investigated the superconducting characteristics of two new transition elements based HEAs Re$_{0.35} $Os$_{0.35} $Mo$_{0.08} $W$_{0.10} $Zr$_{0.12}$ (ReOMWZ) crystallizing in noncentrosymmetric $α$-Mn structure, and Ru$_{0.35} $Os$_{0.35} $Mo$_{0.10} $W$_{0.10} $Zr$_{0.10}$ (RuOMWZ) crystallizing hexagonal closed-packed structure (hcp). Transition metal-based hexagonal hcp HEA is rare and highly desirable for practical applications due to their high hardness. Bulk magnetization, resistivity, and specific heat measurements confirmed bulk type-II superconductivity in both alloys. Specific heat analysis up to the measured low-temperature range suffices for a BCS explanation. Comparable upper critical fields with the Pauli paramagnetic limit suggest the possibility of unconventional superconductivity in both HEAs.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Analysing the Grain size and asymmetry of the particle distribution using auto-correlation technique

Extracting the grain size from the microscopic images is a rigorous task involving much human expertise and manual effort. While calculating the grain size, we will be utilizing a finite number of particles which may lead to an uncertainty in the measurement. To avoid this difficulty, we utilize a simple mathematical tool, the auto-correlation function, to determine the grain size. The random particle distribution and the finite width Gaussian histogram of particle size has motivated us to utilize the auto-correlation function, which has been extensively studied for finding the size of random optical patterns. The finite width of the correlation function provides the grain size, and the difference in correlation length along two mutually independent directions provides information about the asymmetry present in the particle distribution, i.e., the deviation from a spherical shape. The results may find applications in material, pharmaceutical, chemical, and biological studies where extracting the grain size is essential.

physics.data-an↗

arXiv2023

High-spin spectroscopy in $^{207}$At: Evidence of a 29/2$^{+}$ isomeric state

Yrast and near-yrast states above the known 25/2$^{+}$ isomer in $^{207}$At are established for the first time. The level scheme is extended up to 47/2$\hbar$ and 6.5 MeV with the addition of about 60 new $γ$-ray transitions. The half-life of the 25/2$^{+}$ isomer is revisited and a value of $T_{1/2}$ = 107.5(9) ns is deduced. Evidence of a hitherto unobserved 29/2$^{+}$ isomer in $^{207}$At is presented. A systematic study of $B(E3)$ values for the transitions de-exciting the 29/2$^{+}$ isomer in the neighboring odd-$A$ At isotopes suggests a half-life in the 2$-$4.5 $μ$s range for this state in $^{207}$At. The experimental results are compared with large-scale shell-model calculations performed using the KHM3Y effective interaction in the $Z$ = 50$-$126, $N$ = 82$-$184 model space and an overall good agreement is noted between the theory and the experiment. A qualitative comparison of the excited states and the isomers with analogous states in neighboring nuclei provides further insight into the structure of $^{207}$At.

nucl-ex↗